1x01 Shock to the System

[6.4/10] Let’s get a couple of things out of the way for starters. First, when watching this as part of a grand watch of the whole DCAU, it’s noticeable how dodgy the animation is here. I feel like I’ve seen glimpses of later episodes of the show that don’t look this rough, and maybe this is just part of some pilot episode working through the kinks. But the character designs often look cheesy, like a fancy version of the flash cartoons of the era, and the actual movements aren’t terribly fluid or consistent.

Second, the show’s efforts to translate the challenges, slang, and ecosystem of urban teenagers into a Kids WB-friendly package is...amusingly corny at best? The efforts to use teenspeak and reflect the interactions and lives of young people outside of what’s normally presented on television is admirable, but also comes off like it was crafted by a room full of studio executives, far removed from that experience, trying to sell the show to people in that demographic.

Still “Shock to the System” does what it needs to in establishing the basics of the series and admirably puts the spotlight on a different sort of teenager than the ones who normally get superhero cartoons, which is admirable, even if the show stumbles frequently in its opening salvo.

We get to know Virgil’s homelife: his combative relationship with his sister, his respectful relationship with his father, and the fact that he misses his mom, who was slain as part of some type of gang violence. We see his life at school: his best friend Richie, his crush Frida, his bully F-Stop, and his surrogate big brother Wade. That’s more than enough to set the stage for what’s to come.

Granted, the whole “join the gang for protection” feels remarkably cartoony and caricatured for something so serious, and it’s an awkward fit for the usual “radioactive gas gave me superpowers” routine. But again, I admire the show for at least going for an attempt at this type of representation. The opening scene where we see Static with all of his powers ready-to-go takes some of the tension out of the later parts, but may be necessary to reassure the audience that we’ll get our cool guy, wise-cracking superhero sooner rather than later.

At the same time, long before Miles Morales hit the scene, it’s hard not to view this as the second Peter Parker-inspired remix in the DCAU (after Batman Beyond). Virgil as the wise-cracking high schooler who’s low on the social totem pole but makes an impression in his super heroic guise feels pulled straight out of the Web-Head playbook. But it’s a good playbook! So no complaints.

The powers are a little much, since he can fly, use telekinesis, power objects, pin baddies to walls using the titular static, write in the sky, etc. etc. etc., but hopefully the show will come up with some interesting limitations and challenges for that power set as the show goes on.

Overall, this episode didn’t wow me out of the gate, but it hit the notes it needed to in order to introduce Virgil/Static, even if it has to overcome some more questionable animation and questionable success at channeling the life and times of urban teenagers.